Path to Pandemonium
by Soymilky
Summary: Modern day. Tensions between guilds are terrible, on the verge of war. Fairy Tail must prevent the world from becoming a battleground, yet Erza's haunted by memories of her past. How will this turn out, for both Fairy Tail and the magical world? AU / OCs.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi everyone, this is my first ever fanfiction. :D This is the prologue of the story, and it's just a flashback. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.**

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><p>It was a cool and quiet night when Erza Scarlet returned home from school. With a groan, she dropped her schoolbags on the floor of her apartment and went to take a shower. 30 minutes later, clean and exhausted, the redhead slipped under her sheets and went to bed.<p>

_8 years ago…_

"_Haha! Come on, Erza! You're so slow!" A young boy laughed as he ran through the streets. Behind him ran a little girl with flaming red hair._

"_Slow down, Light! Wait for me!" she cried out, desperately trying to speed up._

_Suddenly, her foot hit a rock, and she fell, scraping her knee. Whimpering, Erza slowly got up and examined her wound. She heard footsteps as Light rushed back towards her._

"_Erza! Are you okay? I'm so sorry," Light said, his voice full of remorse._

"_It's fine," Erza smiled, looking into the boy's gleaming golden eyes. Light patted her on the head and said, "Come on, let's walk instead. He held out his hand to her, and together, they walked down the road._

_The scene changed. Erza was sitting on the edge of a cliff, tears running down her cheeks. She felt so alone. Even at her guild, she was constantly teased for wearing her armor all the time. Gray and Natsu would always challenge her to a fight, and Mirajane would always try to outdo her. Why couldn't they see that she just wanted to be friends? Her heart ached as a sob escaped her lips. She felt so alone…_

"_Erza?" a voice asked from behind her. She tentatively turned, and saw Light walking up next to her._

"_Are you okay?" he asked. He sat down next to her and draped an arm across her shoulders._

"_Hey, it's okay…" Light muttered, "don't worry, I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you…forever and always."_

"_Promise?" Erza sniffed, looking hopefully into Light's warm amber eyes._

"_Of course!" her friend said with a bright smile. "Now come on, let's go get some cake!"_

_The scene changed yet again. Erza was now in a small town. She wandered around, looking for Light. It had been two months since he last talked to her. He told her he was going to go search for something, but didn't tell her what. She had looked for him everywhere, yet she couldn't find him. This town was the last place to check… Her eyes scanned the crowd of people, hoping to catch sight of him, when suddenly, she heard a person approach her._

"_Erza? Why are you here?" Light's voice rang through her ears._

"_Light!" Erza turned and hugged him._

"_Oof! Calm down, Erza," her friend reassured her, patting her on the back. When she had calmed down, Light released her and looked her in the eye, "Why are you here?" he asked again._

"_I've been looking for you…" she whispered. "Why did you leave me?"_

"_Ah…" Light said, turning his head, "A few months ago, I overheard someone talking about a lead…to my father."_

_His father. It was always a touchy subject with Light, who had grown up an orphan. Erza and him were like two peas in a pod. They were each other's' only friend. Even when Erza heard that Natsu was also orphan, and tried to introduce him to Light, he ignored her offer, saying, "As long as you're with me, Erza, that's enough."_

"_Ah…" Erza whispered, "so…did you find out anything?"_

"_Yes," Light answered with a big smile, "I went to this town's fortune teller. It turns out she's the real deal, Erza! She showed me a vision of him, my father! I even had a chance to talk to him. Now, I have an idea where he is! This is a once in a lifetime event, I've got to go find him!"_

_Erza smiled at him as he rambled on and on._

"_But," Light paused, looking down at his best friend, "I'll miss you, Erza."_

_Erza's heart leaped, and a blush crept to her face as she heard those words. She had never thought of Light like that…why was it that now, when he said those words, she filled with warmth? Shaking her head, the young girl replied, "I'll miss you too…Light."_

_It was a week since she had said that to him. She had decided to stay with him until he left, so he gave her a key to room at the hotel he was staying at. Light had been running around town, getting supplies together, while she had been struggling to keep her emotions in check. What would happen to her if he left? He was her lifeline, the only one she could turn to when she was in trouble. He was the only person who really understood her. He was the one who taught her everything she knew about magic, how to control it, how to summon it, how to wield it. It was him who told her that she had a knack for ex-quipping magic, and it was him who had bought Erza her first set of Heart Kruez armor. He was the best thing that ever happened to her._

_Tears rushed forth, threatening to fall down her cheeks. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to tell him, before it was too late. She stood up, realizing that today was the day Light was leaving. She rushed through the streets, and saw Light's lone figure walking into the empty horizon, with nothing but a small pack hung over his shoulders._

"_Light!" she cried, hoping he would stop._

"_Hu-" Light was cut short as Erza leaped right into him, gripping him in a tight hug._

"_Light, please, don't leave!" Erza cried. "I need you! You're my best friend, don't leave me! I…don't want to be alone again…" she whispered, breaking down._

_Light looked down at her, his heart aching to reach down and tell her it's alright, that he won't go, that he'll stay with her. But he can't. Light slowly bent down, looking Erza right in the eyes._

"_Erza, I'm so sorry that I have to leave you, but I swear to you this: I will come back. Even if it takes months, or years, I will somehow come back to you," Light whispered with a smile._

"_Promise me something else, Light!" Erza looked up, her eyes sparking with fiery determination. "Promise me that you won't ever forget me, just like how I will never forget you…" she trailed off._

_Light's eyes began to tear up, "I promise to you, Erza, I will never forget you. You are the most special thing in my heart. You're my best friend, the person I would give up my life for. Just remember, keep your head high and live your life with happiness. I_ will _come back. This I swear."_

_Shouldering his pack once again, Light gave Erza a hug and resumed his journey._

"_Wait…" Light heard Erza say once again. He turned around, and felt her soft lips pressed against his. He gasped in surprise as Erza leaned away, blushing fiercely, and tears still falling down her cheeks._

"_Light…I love you," the redhead whispered, before turning and running back to town._

"_I…love you too…Erza Scarlet," Light whispered, as tears began rolling down his cheeks. "Wait for me…"_

_He began to fade._

Erza woke with a start as her alarm started to ring. She touched her face. It was wet with tears. She quickly jumped out of bed and went into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she said to herself, _I haven't had that dream in months…_

She quickly looked at the time – 7:50 AM.

"Oh, shit!" she swore, "I'm going to be late for school!" She threw on her clothes, crammed some bread into her mouth. She ran out the door and crashed into someone.

"Ow, what the hell?" she groaned, rubbing her head. She glared at the person she crashed into, ready to give them a beating, when she heard, "Erza? Where were you? We're going to be late for school!"

Natsu Dragneel peered down at his friend curiously, "C'mon, what was keeping you? You're always on time! Lucy and Gray are waiting for us, now hurry up."

He held out a hand and helped her up. Together, the swords mage and Fire Dragon Slayer walked through the street, until they met Gray and Lucy.

"Geez, Erza, you took your sweet time," Gray muttered, looking annoyed.

"Hey Erza!" Lucy, on the other hand, was cheerful and smiling. From her shoulder popped out a blue cat.

"Hiiii Erzaaa!" Happy shouted.

"Hello, everyone," Erza smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, can we hurry it up? We're going to be late," Natsu grumbled.

"Since when do you care about school, Natsu?" Happy asked, returning to his place on the Dragon Slayer's shoulder.

"Shut it, cat!" Natsu grumbled.

"Wahhh, Lucy, Natsu's being mean to me!" Happy complained, jumping onto the Stellar Mage's shoulder.

"Natsu, you shouldn't be so mean to Happy!" Lucy scolded.

"Besides, flame-brain, Happy's right. Why are you so excited for school today?" Gray grumbled.

Erza stepped in before the two began fighting again. "Stop it, let's just go."

"Yes ma'am," the boys grumbled, following after the redhead. Lucy and Happy followed them, and together the four of them made their way to Magnolia High.

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><p><strong>So how was it? :D Was it terrible? ._. <strong>

**Please R&R! I'll really appreciate it! Thanks! ^^**


	2. Cynthia

**A/N: This is the first actual chapter of the story. :o The one before was just a prologue, sorry for confusing everyone. ._. Anyways, if you have a question, just send me a PM and I'll do my best to respond to you! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and all its characters.**

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><p>"Gosh guys, the bell's about to ring!" Lucy cried out, racing alongside Natsu as Gray and Erza brought up the rear.<br>"Yeah yeah, I know! Just keep running and we'll make it!" Gray shouted back.

After a few minutes, the group finally made it past the front gates of the school. They leaned against the wall, catching their breath.

"Whew, made it," Lucy sighed.

"Oii! Natsu!" a young man called out, waving his hand at the Dragon Slayer.

"Hey Corin!" Natsu responded. Before he could say any more, Erza beckoned for the boy near her.

Corin walked past and gave Lucy and Gray a nod of recognition, and turned to face the Titania.

"Yeah?" he asked her.

"There's going to be the initiation of the new members today," Erza began. Corin nodded in affirmation. "We're going to be busy preparing, so I need you to show this girl around school." Erza shoved a piece of paper into Corin's hands. "She just transferred here today, so take her around school and get her used to things, okay?"

"Sure thing," the boy responded.

"Good. I'm counting on you," Erza smiled and walked off, heading to her first class of the day.

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><p><em>Ddddiiiinggggg!<em> The first bell of the day rang as a young woman walked through the crowds of people hurrying to their first period of the day. She confidently pushed aside stragglers and made her way to the attendance office. She had short, wavy blonde hair, bulled back in a ponytail. Her violet eyes gleamed with excitement as she walked to the front desk.

"May I help you?" a voice emerged from a lacrima.

"Uh, yes. My name is Cynthia Knight, and I'm here to pick up my schedule. This is my first day here!" the young woman, Cynthia, said.

"Cynthia Knight. C-Class Nature Mage, Affiliated guild: Fairy Tail," the lacrima said, "is this information correct?"

"Err, yeah..." Cynthia said, a little confused.

"Ah, Miss Knight. Please wait one moment," the voice disappeared, and for a few moments, Cynthia observed her surroundings. She had just moved here on Saturday, and had just been accepted into one of the most prestigious guilds in the magical world, Fairy Tail. Today was her initiation ceremony after school, so she had woken up extra early to prepare herself for the event. I'm_ finally here..._she thought to herself, _I'm finally a part of Fairy Tail_. She couldn't believe it, that she was actually a part of a group of magicians she had grown up hearing stories about. And now, she was here, in Magnolia, the place where Fairy Tail based its headquarters!

"Miss Knight?" the voice pulled her back to reality.

"Huh? Yeah?" she blinked, startled.

"Here is your schedule for the rest of the year, and a student ID card. If you have any questions, please contact administrations again. Thank you," as the lacrima dimmed once again, a card and a piece of paper flashed into existence. Cynthia took them and inspected her schedule. _Hm...History of Magic is my first period...wonderful_, she groaned to herself.

She walked through the school, looking around, absorbing the sights and sounds. It really was a beautiful school. In the back, there was a huge area where combat training took place, along with a track for racing. Next to it, there was a huge forest that was filled with cherry blossom trees. Cynthia had heard that Magnolia's cherry blossoms were some of the most beautiful in the world.

"Ah, Room 13...it should be right here," Cynthia said to herself, stopping in front of a white door. She knocked once, then poked her head through.

"Um, hello?" she asked.

"Oh, are you the new student? They told me to expect someone," a cheerful voice said. Cynthia opened the door and walked in. There was the teacher, a short little man, taking attendance at his desk. Next to him sat a handsome boy with blond hair, dozing off. There were also dozens of young mages sitting in the chairs, throwing airplanes and playing cards. In one corner, a boy was putting on a magic show, making sparks fly around his fingers in a wild pattern. Right next to her, there was a young girl who made the water in her bottle mold into different shapes.

The teacher cleared his throat, "Everyone, calm down please! We have a new student. Um, Miss..."

"Knight," Cynthia completed for him.

"Ah yes, Miss Knight. Would you please introduce yourself for us?"

Cynthia grinned and said out loud, "Hello everyone! My name is Cynthia Knight. My magic is nature, and I'm a C-Class mage of Fairy Tail! I hope we get along!"

There was a second of pause, then the talking resumed. Cynthia was a little irritated. _At least they could've said hi! _She huffed as she walked towards the teacher.

"Sir? Where should I sit?" she asked.

"Ah, you may take the empty seat right there," the teacher pointed one of the seats nearest his desk. Cynthia took her bags and placed them on the desk, all the while staring at the sleeping boy. _Was he allowed to do that?_ She wondered to herself.

Suddenly, the teacher said, "All right, you clowns. Stop fooling around and listen up."

As the teacher began to talk about the Cabria War, Cynthia felt her eyelids start to droop. She quickly shook herself, mentally scolding herself for falling asleep on the first day. She tried to pay attention, but instead turned her face towards the sleeping man. His eyelids fluttered, and he jerked awake. He looked around, rubbed sleep from his eyes, then took in Cynthia and whispered, "You're new."

Cynthia looked at him and said, "Yeah, today's my first day!" She looked at him again, taking in his features. He had blond hair, just like her. He was lean and well built. What shocked her the most, though, was his eyes. A dark brown like molten chocolate that gleamed with mischief.

The boy smiled, "Ah, that's nice. My name is Corin. I'm the assistant for this class."

He stuck out his hand, and a familiar symbol was stamped on the back of it. The same symbol that she had seen so many times. Fairy Tail.

"Y-y-you're from Fairy Tail?" she whispered to the boy in surprise.

"Hmmm? Yeah, it's not that big of a deal though, most of the mages here are either aspiring to become a Fairy Tail Mage, or already are one," Corin looked at her. "Oh, wait. Are you the newbie Erza-san told me to show around today?"

_Erza? Could he mean..._that _Erza? _Cynthia nodded and gulped, "Do you mean _the _Erza? Erza the Titania?"

Corin looked at her and replied, "Yeah. She comes to school here to, class president of the S-Class mages. What, you didn't know?"

Shocked, Cynthia looked at him and shook her head. _Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh _She thought over and over again. Was she going to meet Erza Scarlet today, at the initiation?

After an hour of whispering with Corin, the bell rang, and Cynthia walked to her next class, combat training. Corin walked her there, as it appeared he had the same class.

As they walked, Corin rambled on and on about the school, "At lunch, I suggest you get the hamburger – the hotdog tastes like crap. Ah, who do you have for Alchemy? Valia? Ooh, good luck. She's really tough. Oh, we're almost at the meeting place. By the way, if you look over there, you'll see a humungous building inside the forest. That's where the initiation'll be taking place."

Combat training that day was basic. The teacher just told the students to try and lift a 300-pound boulder, and the only thing they could use was their own magic. After 30 minutes of sweat, swearing, and bruised toes, Cynthia managed to summon enough roots to wrap the boulder and lift it up. She looked around, and felt pleased when she saw that most of the other mages were still struggling with there task. Then, she heard a voice say to her, "Oh, you're finally done? Geez, what took you so long?"

Cynthia turned her head and saw Corin sitting under a tree, "Well, _sorry._ I'm still not very proficient with magic, as you can see. I'm a C-class mage."

Corin shrugged, "Eh, I guess that's true. At least you managed to lift it, am I right? Want a drink?" He offered her a juice pack.

Cynthia gratefully accepted his offer, and after the bell rang, walked with him through the school as he showed her where her classes would be. Then, as break was about to end, Corin took her to a special place – the "Fairy Corner" as he called it. In reality, the corner was a gigantic open air classroom. Fairy Tail mages sat around it, laughing and joking around. Corin waved at a group of mages, who waved back. Some mages whistled at Cynthia, who tried to keep her blush under control. Then, Cynthia saw a woman with flaming red hair, scolding a young man with pink hair with a cat perched on his shoulder. Cynthia froze and gripped Corin's shoulder.

"Ow, what's wrong? Loosen your grip," Corin groaned as Cynthia's fingers dug into his skin.

"Oh my god. It's her," Cynthia whispered.

"Who?" Corin put his face next to hers, eagerly scanning the crowd.

"It's Erza! Erza Scarlet! She's over there, talking to mos – wait, oh my god. Is that Natsu? It is! It's Natsu Dragneel! And that's Happy! Perched on his shoulder!" Cynthia squealed in excitement as she saw them, two of Fairy Tail's most widely known mages.

"Ah, here comes Gray and Lucy," Corin said, looking a lite ways off.

"Huh? Gray Fullbuster? And Lucy Heartphilia? Oh my god. How many of the Fairy Knights actually attend this school?" Cynthia gasped at Corin.

The Fairy Knights. Fairy Tail's elite group of S-Class mages. As like most guilds, Fairy Tail ranked its mages, from D to S class. Yet, the Fairy Knights were above even the S class mages. There were 12 of them, each ranked SS or above, and together they were one of Fairy Tail's most formidable fighting forces. It was led by their Erza Scarlet, the Titania. She had the rank of Fairy Knight Primum After her, was Fairy Knight Secundum, Jellal Fernandes, who stayed in Blue Pegasus' territory as an ambassador. Then there was Fairy Knights Terbium and Quantum, Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster. Juvia Loxar and Gajeel Redfox followed, ranked Quintum and Sextum. Next, the Raijinshu, Fried, Bixlow, and Evergreen, Septimum, Octavum, and Nonum. Then, Mirajane and her brother Elfman, ranked Decimum and Undecimum. And last, there was Wendy Marvell, Duodecimum.

And yet, above even the Knights, there was an even stronger group of mages, the personal bodyguards of Master Makarov. The Fairy Sentinels. They were three of Fairy Tail's most powerful mages, with no clear rank of strongest. Gildarts, Mystogan, and Laxus.

Cynthia knew that each of the Fairy Knight had their own district they were assigned to, places where there was a Fairy Tail building set up. So why were there 3 of the 12 elite knights assigned here? It was a little strange.

Corin yawned and stretched, "There's 3, Gray, Natsu, and Erza. Nii-san doesn't count as a Knight, but she's just as well known."

Cynthia blinked, "Nii-san? Do you mean Lucy? You're related to her?"

Corin avoided her excited face, "Yup. Corin Heartphilia, younger brother of Lucy Heartphilia. That's me." He looked past her and frowned slightly. "Ah, that's her right there."

Cynthia turned and saw a beautiful woman walk towards her. Her long blond hair shone in the sun, and at her hips there was a ring of golden keys. Lucy tackled Corin, pulling him into a tight hug. "Hey, lil' bro!" the Stellar Spirit mage said cheerfully. "You didn't even say hi to me this morning!" she pouted, "and you ditched me too!"

Corin sighed, "You, Natsu, and Gray were taking forever! I didn't want to be late."

Lucy sighed, "We were waiting for Erza...well, that doesn't matter." She turned to Cynthia, "Oh, and who are you? The new student here?"

Cynthia nodded, wonderstuck.

"Well then, hi! I'm Lucy Heartphilia, and you are?" Lucy stuck out her hand. Cynthia took it and slowly replied, "Cynthia...Knight...it's an honor to meet you, Miss Heartphilia."

"Please, just call me Lucy!" the spirit mage laughed.

Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling the end of break.

"Ahh, time to get to class...I'll see you later at the ceremony, Corin, Cynthia!" Lucy shouted, running towards Natsu, who waved at Corin. A blue cat jumped from his shoulders and shouted something that Cynthia couldn't hear.

"Ah, c'mon, let's get going," Corin said, waving Cynthia to follow.

"Ahh, I can't wait til school's over!" Cynthia exclaimed, following her friend.

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><p><strong>AN: Yay, chapter one is done! And today is the last day of school, too! :D Chapter 2 will be up sometime this weekend or next, week. First, I must finish outlining the plot of the whole story. : Anyways, please read and review! Thanks! :D**


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